| Initially I was blind sided by Alpine daisies and | | | | distractions, catch craggy peaks, and glimpses of |
| Digitalis (foxglove) passing themselves off as | | | | passing wildflowers, but watch the road, too. |
| wildflowers, much less the other fabulous scenery | | | | Bicycling is a springtime fancy that brings hoards |
| on the North Cascades Highway, and then they | | | | of them into the mountains. They do what they |
| showed up again. I turned the tables on them | | | | do for more than exercise and health. Funding |
| though and made a pass. I don't commonly make | | | | good causes comes into play.Covered with |
| passes at bikers, but in this case, it was a must. I | | | | Douglas fir, many of the surrounding peaks, such |
| went around them. Bikers. The non-motorized | | | | as Liberty Bell Mountain, Ruby Mountain, and Early |
| kind.I hit the brake often for resting bicyclers and | | | | Winters Spires tower in the high 7,000 elevation |
| continued searching, as I drove, for the perfect | | | | range. My first time in northwestern Washington |
| shot of wildflowers. My "kill two birds with one | | | | and writings stating European images came to |
| stone" mentality needed Ross Lake as a | | | | light. It is truly awesome. Bicyclists benefit from |
| backdrop.I ducked out of traffic last spring when I | | | | unobstructed views and find safety quickly even |
| got off the ferry and dipped onto South | | | | from wild drivers like myself.The humid side of |
| Chuckanut Drive. For approximately twenty-five | | | | Washington was about to end when Dry Falls |
| miles I was in another world with narrow, winding | | | | appeared. The eastern leg of northern Washington |
| roads under a canopy of trees and there I | | | | is dry, flat, agricultural land stirred up by high |
| wanted to stay. I passed under Highway 5 near | | | | winds that creates "dust devils". They are |
| exit 231, hung a right onto Burlington Boulevard | | | | ultra-mini tornadoes that whip the land into some |
| and left on Avon Avenue (Highway 20), headed | | | | sort of shape. The foreboding look of three or |
| east, back to Colorado. No traffic, feeling a bit lost | | | | more can be seen at any given time throwing a |
| even with a map, another sixty miles and I | | | | fit on the horizon blending yellow, brown dust with |
| slowed down even more. I was in the | | | | cerulean blue sky.According to Washington State |
| Cascades.My mind filled with a flash of Concretia | | | | Parks, Dry Falls is one of North America's |
| from the Flintstones movie along the way, when I | | | | geological wonders. Dry Falls is a cliff over three |
| passed through the town of Concrete. There is | | | | miles long and 400 foot high and was once ten |
| not much to it but history, folklore and a garish | | | | times larger than Niagara. The Colombia River |
| cement stack with bold lettering no one can miss. | | | | used to rush through here.On one free-fall, in |
| Concrete sits below Baker Dam and the base of | | | | neutral down a steep, winding grade on the North |
| Lake Shannon. The bikers were beginning to add | | | | Cascades Highway, there they were. And again, |
| up as I passed more and drove another | | | | when I rounded a corner at Sun Lakes-Dry Falls |
| twenty-six miles, through Marblemount, climbing, | | | | State Park, and once again before I crossed into |
| climbing. Gorge Dam and its long, narrow Gorge | | | | Idaho. Still headed eastbound on Highway 20 just |
| Lake, then Diablo Dam created more than | | | | leaving Coulee City headed to Spokane, on the |
| fifty-years ago, and Diablo Lake, and further on | | | | flat, dry plains, faces of the bikers were becoming |
| and above, Ross Lake, all a sparkle of deep blue.A | | | | recognizable. I filled up every two hundred miles |
| labor of love goes into building our roadways so | | | | or so from Washington to Colorado and began to |
| travelers like me can see the grandeur of our | | | | think my speedometer was broken because the |
| country. North Cascades Highway was completed | | | | same bikers were everywhere I was. Were they |
| in1972 after twelve years. Down one particularly | | | | following me? My curiosity was piqued, because I |
| steep grade around a switchback the view of | | | | just couldn't shake them all the way through |
| Ross Lake takes your breath away. It spans into | | | | Washington.I began to hallucinate seeing bikers in |
| Canada for a mile and a half. Access is only | | | | Montana, thinking, they were still following me. So, |
| available on the U.S. side.Six passes on and around | | | | here it was ten o'clock at night, I pulled off at a |
| this route reach elevations between 4,000 to | | | | state campground, plopped ten dollars in an |
| 5,500 feet. Sherman Pass is the highest, followed | | | | envelope, pitched my tent, and dreamed of |
| by North Cascade, Loup Loup, Wauconda, Rainy, | | | | bikers.This link covers a bike tour that lasted 71 |
| and Washington. Passes are monitored for | | | | days and 4,224 miles starting at Anacortes, |
| weather changes, but expect Loup Loup Pass to | | | | Washington and ending in Bar Harbor, Maine. |
| remain open year round. Like Ross Lake, Loup | | | | account of one of the bikers who took the |
| Loup Pass goes into Canada. From Marblemount | | | | Washington route. |
| to the end of the Cascades on this highway | | | | in biking across the entire United States contact: |
| fifty-six more miles awaited as I continued to | | | | |
| dodge bikers.I recommend springtime travel, more | | | | State only: |
| tourists and travelers flock here in the summer. | | | | |
| Mid-April through late June is the time to reduce | | | | to Mt. St. Helens? |